Selfless
by Darkly Dreaming
Summary: Most people think Sheldon is incredibly selfish when really he's the most selfless person Penny knows.


A/N: So, first night of the new year and I couldn't sleep. For some reason this came to me while I was lying in bed around 4am. Don't ask. You know that picture of Jim Parsons and the piano? Yeah, if you wanna blame something blame that. Lol.

For Risknight, who wrote me TWO STORIES for one prompt! She's Superwoman, I swear.

* * *

The Cheesecake Factory was 'closed for renovations' so Penny was on paid vacation. 'Closed for renovations' meant they were repainting the dining area, restaining all the wood, and replacing the bar stools with tall swivel chairs.

Paid vacation or no, Penny was bored. She guessed the guys' WiFi password on the fourth try (You may be on vacation but that is no reason to steal wifi, no spaces) and decided to Google herself.

Facebook and Twitter were the only pages to show up pertaining to her.

"Well that was dull," she said to herself. "How about Doctor Leonard Hofstadter, Ph.D.?"

Again, Facebook and Twtter came up, but also a couple of science journal websites.

"Booooriiiing," Penny blew her bangs out of her face. "Oh! How about Doctor Sheldon Lee Cooper, Ph.D. and whatever the hell else he is."

_Facebook, Twitter, blah blah science blah - what?_

**"Young Doctorate Recipient Plays Piano to Pay for School"**

Penny clicked on the link and was taken by surprise. There was a picture of a young Sheldon in a tux and bow tie. That wasn't the surprising part, though. What Penny couldn't believe was the fact that he was actaully posing. He sat on the piano bench, legs crossed, leaning against the piano. One arm was stretched out in front of him and one held a single key down. His eyes were like steel. Penny was transfixed.

_Wow. I knew he played piano, and I knew he cleaned up good, but...his attitude. Wow._

Penny saved the picture and printed a copy. She had an idea.

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Sheldon came home to a folded note taped to his bedroom door.

_That's Penny's obviously-female script. She should know better than to enter our apartment while we are away, but at least she did not enter my room._

He unfolded the note and read the first of two pages.

_Sheldon,_

_Guessed your wifi password - too easy. Because I'm on vacation is the perfect reason to steal your wifi! Speaking of my vacation, if you want I'll make you spaghetti with hotdogs tomorrow since the Cheesecake Factory will still be closed._

_So I got bored and Googled people. Me and Leonard were really boring - just facebook and stuff - but lookie at what I found when I Googled you! Why didn't you ever tell me you paid your way through graduate school by playing piano? You look gorgeous in this pic, Moonpie!_

Sure enough, the second piece of paper was a picture from that humiliating photo shoot for the Galveston paper.

_Damn. I had hoped no one would ever see this. I suppose now that she has I must prevent her from showing anyone else._ The thought of spaghetti crossed his mind. The others could do whatever they liked. He was having spaghetti with Penny. _That's settled. I'll confront her about the photograph and accept her dinner invitation at the same time._

He opened his bedroom door finally, put his things away, and went over to Penny's, ignoring Leonard's offer to play Modern Warfare 3.

_Oh good lord, what's she done now?_ Leonard thought. If Sheldon's ignoring the offer to shoot down helicopters with a .44 Magnum it must be serious. He paused the game and looked through the peep hole. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but Sheldon's body language looked confrontational and Penny was trying not to laugh. Leonard decided to leave them to it and returned to his game.

Across the hall, Penny suggested they adjourn to her living room rather than stay in the doorway.

"Penny, I had hoped that that stage of my life would be under scrutiny by no one," Sheldon said as he sat in his chair. "I would greatly appreciate it if you told no one else of this."

Penny sat on the side of the couch closest to him. "Alright, Sheldon, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. You payed for your schooling by playing piano. It's impressive, not shameful." If this were anyone else she would've patted his knee, but as it was Sheldon she merely smiled.

Sheldon, on the other hand, still looked glum rather than reassured. There was obviously something on his mind that he was reluctant to share.

"What's on your mind?" Penny asked. "You can talk to me."

Sheldon fidgeted in his seat, then sighed, resigned. "Before I tell you anything, you must know that I never lied and it wasn't a secret. I just let them believe what they wanted to believe."

Penny's curiosity piqued, she nodded.

He took a deep breath. "I wasn't paying for school. As I said, I just let them believe that." He paused to lick his lips, then continued. "I had full ride scholarships everywhere I went, so I didn't need the money. However..." he paused again, seeming to gather himself. "My family did. My father spent his earnings on unsavory things, leaving momma, Missy, George Jr., and myself with little left over. I played piano while in school to help out. But momma never knew. I gave the money to Meemaw to give to momma. If momma ever asked, Meemaw probably lied, as she never confronted me about it. Momma thought I was saving the money for after school, but since she never outright asked me about it I never had to lie. I just let them think what they wanted. It was easier that way."

They sat in silence after that. Sheldon was wondering what Penny thought of him after learning he had been dishonest. Penny was thinking nothing of the sort, instead wondering at how big his heart was. He let everyone believe he was selfish except his Meemaw, and now her, when he was probably the most selfless person on Earth. He could feel her eyes on him, but kept his gaze on his fidgeting hands.

"Sweetie, that's wonderful," she finally said. "People think you're so selfish, but really you're the most selfless person I know. You don't hesitate to help the people you care about." Penny seemed to struggle with something, fidgeting in her seat for a moment. "Gah, if you were anyone else I would hug you right now, but I know you hate touching."

Sheldon focused on his hands again, twiddling his thumbs. "It is not the touching I am averse to. It's the germs. If you were to shower I would let you hug me all you want."

"Do I have to brush my teeth to kiss your cheek?" she giggled.

"And rinse with mouthwash," he nodded.

She then grinned, jumped up, ran around the couch and shouted "BE RIGHT BACK!"

Sheldon sat there for a moment processing what just happened. When he got it he hung his head and whispered "Oh good lord. This might take a while." He stood and walked back over to his apartment, ignored Leonard's queries, grabbed a periodical from the coffee table, and crossed back over to Penny's. A suprising ten minutes later he heard the shower turn off. Three minutes after which he presumed she dried herself he heard the sink running and her electric toothbrush whirring. Exactly two minutes later (_she must have a timer on her toothbrush_) the water was running again and he heard gargling. He could only hope she remembered to put on clean clothes, or else the whole thing was moot.

He needn't have worried. Penny walked out of her bedroom in a clean, clingy sundress.

"Look, Sheldon. Squeaky clean. No makeup, not even Chapstick to make you feel uncomfortable." Penny opened her arms and Sheldon stood, resigned to his fate. At least she had tried to make things easier for him. He opened his arms and Penny practically flew into them, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hug was less awkward than the first two because he was confident that she was mostly germ free. He knew what to do with his arms this time, but her hair was longer and still wet, so he rolled up his sleeves and moved his arms underneath her hair. He couldn't feel a bra. Then he heard her voice in his ear, barely above a whisper.

"You're probably the most wonderful man I've ever met, Sheldon. You've helped me so much over the years. You're my best friend, you know?" She pulled back and Sheldon thought she was going to kiss his cheek like she had asked. Instead, she looked at him, closer than they'd ever been, with eyes so sincere and the most sparkling green. Then she leaned in, painfully slowly, gauging his reaction. Nothing she saw discouraged her, and her lips touched his so gently he almost didn't feel it. Apparently his body thought that wouldn't do, because the next thing he knew his eyes had fluttered closed and his arms pulled her closer and her green apple shampoo was all he could smell, Penny was all he could feel, and he tasted mint and something uniquely Penny.

It lasted only a short moment, but felt like hours. There was no changing of positions or angles. Just one simple kiss, chaste by anyone elses standards, but it changed their lives in that moment.

They broke apart simultaneously, but stayed in their embrace, sharing oxygen and something else, something that couldn't be measured.

"I'm not sorry," Sheldon finally said as he let her go. "But I understand if you wish to forget about this."

Penny pressed another kiss to his lips and smiled. "I'm not sorry either. And I will never forget this."


End file.
